Things Always Get Worse
by Seul Loup
Summary: Sarah finds out she has a half-sister. Corey wishes their mother away as a joke, not believing Sarah's story of the Labyrinth, then has to rescue Linda. Up steps J. Let the chaos begin!
1. Many Meetings

Hey guys! It's me again. Hope you like this one. Please review!  
  
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise ain't mine.   
  
Summary: Sarah finds out she has a half-sister. Corey wishes their mother away as a joke, not believing Sarah's story of the Labyrinth, then has to rescue Linda. Up steps J. Let the chaos begin!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah woke suddenly, hearing voices. She looked groggily at her clock; 2am; and stumbled blearily out of her room and onto the stairs, to stop and gape in shock.  
  
"Mom?" she whispered. Linda glanced up at her once, then went back to arguing with her father.  
  
"Linda, you can't stay here," he was saying.  
  
"But he's after me, Michael's coming to get me and Corey, he'll kill us, for sure-"  
  
"Well, you did put him in jail," Ken Williams told her.   
  
"Please, just let us stay for one night. Just let me call my sister," she pleaded.  
  
"Linda-"  
  
"For Corey's sake. I don't want my girl to be killed by her own father. Please, just one night," she begged. Ken sighed. Sarah saw a movement in the shadows behind her mother and peered closer. A girl of about 17 huddled in a threadbare jersey, her ratty brown hair tangled and needing a wash, skinny hands clutching at her mother's jacket. Ken looked at the girl too, then back at Linda.  
  
"What about the daughter you already have? You haven't spoken to Sarah since she was ten," he said. Linda glanced at Sarah again, but was silent. Her father ran his fingers through his hair, then groaned.  
  
"All right. You can stay for the rest of tonight, but in the morning I expect you to call Sherry and get her to help. Tonight only, understand?" Ken looked at her sternly. Linda nodded, meek as a mouse. Sarah knew her father's look; it was the one he gave her when she'd been rude to Karen again, and it always sent her weak at the knees. She turned away fiercely, stomping back up the stairs, wishing her mother would just disappear from her life altogether, and not come back. Sarah flopped back into her nest of bedspread and pillows, burying her face in the softness. A faint knock came at the door, and she ignored it. But the person knocked again, and kept knocking, until she finally stormed over and threw it open.  
  
"What do you want?" She snapped at Corey, who shrank back, apprehensive.  
  
"Uh, your father... he- he said I could sleep in your room," she whispered. Sarah paused a moment. The girl looked so scared and haunted. Her heart went out to Corey, and she stood back to let her enter. Linda's second daughter stood in the middle of the room, hands clutched against her chest, looking around at everything.   
  
"Here," Sarah peeled one of the blankets off her bed and grabbed a pillow, passing them to Corey. The girl smiled, and bundled herself up on the floor. Sarah flicked the light off and curled up in her own bed.  
  
"I guess you're my half-sister," came a whisper from the floor. The young woman considered it for a moment.   
  
"Yes, I guess so," she consented. All was quiet for a moment.  
  
"I'm sorry for the way Mom acted down there. She's never told me about you," Corey said. Sarah closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill.  
  
"It's okay," was all she could say. She heard movement, and thin arms wrapped themselves hesitantly around her. Sarah cried herself to sleep, her head buried in the shoulder of the younger girl. Corey was a stranger, yet they shared a strong bond already.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
She woke slowly, remembering the night before. Sarah looked around and saw Corey, curled at the bottom of the bed like dog. She smiled sleepily and shifted to find a more comfortable spot. The younger girl woke with a start, sitting up suddenly.  
  
"Sorry, I woke you," Sarah said. Corey rubbed her eyes.  
  
"That's okay," she yawned, climbing back down to the floor. They settled in again, but neither seemed to be able to sleep. Sarah found herself telling her half-sister everything about herself; about school, Toby, Karen, her plans for the future. Then she told her about the Labyrinth. Bad idea.   
  
"I bet you were dreaming," Corey laughed. Sarah frowned, uncomfortable.  
  
"It wasn't a dream, it was real," she insisted. But the girl wouldn't believe her. Sarah dug the little red book out from a drawer and showed her. Corey scanned a few pages, and shook her head.  
  
"This is a fantasy story, Sarah. Fantasy isn't real. All this about goblins and faeries- someone's just got a good imagination. If fantasies were real I'd be living a normal teenage life not running around the countryside escaping Dad," Corey passed the book back.  
  
"This is real, Corey. I wished for the goblins to take Toby away, and had to run the Labyrinth to get him back," Sarah told her. But still she wouldn't believe. Someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Corey? Sherry's here to pick us up. Come on, we're leaving," Linda called through the door. A flash of sadness crept into the girl's face, and she stood slowly.  
  
"Will you be able to call me? Or come and visit?" Sarah asked earnestly. Corey shook her head.  
  
"Mom wouldn't let me," she whispered, walking to the door. Corey paused a moment, then looked back, her eyes resting on the little red book that lay enticingly on Sarah's bed.  
  
"I wish the goblins would take my mother away right now," she whispered. A thump came from outside, and lightning clapped overhead. Both girls gasped.  
  
"Corey, what've you done?" Sarah cried, rushing over and throwing open the door. A familiar someone leant on the frame, smirking at them. Corey gasped again.  
  
"What've I done..." she trailed off.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Well? You like? Please review!! Sorry I haven't updated recently, but things have been so busy!! Anyway, review and I'll have the next chapter up ASAP!!  
  
Sweet Sunshine and Laughter  
  
Seul Loup 


	2. Enter The Labyrinth

Okay, since we all know that I suck at writing about ppl going through the Labyrinth and because the main story starts after the Labyrinth, I'm just gonna cut to the chase, k? Here it is.  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed!   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey, panting, leapt up and down the stairs two at a time. Her thin legs ached already from running through the Labyrinth; now they complained even more. She was chasing her mother, who was chasing her. Finally she stopped on a ledge, wheezing.   
  
"Mom..." she choked and fell to her knees. Her mother was standing on the level below her, calling and stretching out her hands. Corey lunged over the ledge, but all she grabbed was fistful of air. She was falling...  
  
And landed face first on cobbles. In front of her was a pair of highly polished boots. Dimly, she wondered how many times he'd polished them to get them that shiny. She wished her own ratty sneakers were like them.  
  
"Good evening, Corey. Having fun?" That heavy English accent broke through her daze, and she scrambled to her feet, glaring at him.   
  
"Let my mother go, Jareth," she warned him, balling her fists and raising them in a fighting stance. He shook his head, watching her with amusement.  
  
"You have a warrior's instincts. Just like your father... and look where that got him," He started circling her.   
  
"Let her go, you bastard!" She cried. The man just laughed, making her shiver.  
  
"Your mother. Who never told you about Sarah? You had a right to know, yet she never told you?" He asked, stopping. Corey paused, then shook her head angrily.  
  
"Stop it! You're just messing with my head. Now let her go!" She yelled, swinging at him. Not to her surprise, the blow didn't land; he had faded out and re-appeared behind her. She swung around to face him.  
  
"Say the words, Corey. Did Sarah teach you the words? Say the words and you and your mother can go," He laughed and waved a hand. Linda appeared, hands and feet bound, sitting on a chair like all the movies she had seen.  
  
"Mom!" Corey cried. She lunged towards her mother, but met an invisible barrier and slid to the ground. The girl sprung up again and beat her hands against it, with no avail. She turned around and frantically called up memories of the pages she had flicked through in that little red book...  
  
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," she began.  
  
"Say the words, Corey. You can't remember, can you? You don't know them," he said, a note of urgency entering his voice.   
  
"Shut up you bastard! Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen," she recited, closing her eyes and concentrating.   
  
"You can't remember, Corey. Give up now," his voice was fading; she was blocking it out. Just a few more lines...  
  
"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great," her voice was suddenly drowned out by the ringing of a bell and triumphant laughter. She opened her eyes and looked around in a fever. There was a clock, both hands pointing to the thirteen. The Goblin King was laughing, and her mother crying out to her in panic.  
  
"No! You have no power over me! Let Mom go! You have no power over us!" She screamed, pounding her fists against the invisible barrier. The clock stopped ringing and Corey slid to the ground, hitting her hand feebly against the barrier.  
  
"The thirteenth hour is over. You've lost," Jareth smirked. Corey shook her head.  
  
"You... have no power... over me," she sobbed.  
  
"Oh, but I do. You lost the Labyrinth, now you must obey my rule," He laughed.  
  
"Your mother will be sent to the dungeons, you may see her every now and then if you behave properly," He turned away, and Corey buried her face into her hands, sobbing.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Jareth looked over his shoulder at the girl. He wasn't supposed to feel this way... guilty. Her mother was all she'd had in her life, and now he was taking her away. And no one lived more than two years in the dungeons. But it couldn't be done any other way. There was something about her... something that called to him. Not her underfed features, of course. That girl wouldn't have more meat on her bones than a starved street-child. It was from the months on the run from her father, he knew. Something inside. Her fighting spirit... so much like Sarah's. If he looked at her from behind, she almost looked like Sarah. He had longed so much for Sarah to love him, for her to live here in the Labyrinth with him. Now was his chance. This girl looked almost like Sarah, could she be a substitute?  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey, sobbing, looked up frantically and stumbled forward on her knees.  
  
"I'll do anything, just let her go. Anything," she choked. He paused, then gripped her arm and pulled Corey to her feet. Jareth traced her cheek with one finger, and she swallowed hard.  
  
"Anything?" he asked. She closed her eyes and hung her head, nodding. Anything for her mother. Linda was all she had.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
If you don't like it, too bad. But if you do like it, review! It will get better later. She will kick his ass, promise.  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	3. Up Yours

Corey woke up the next morning in a strange bedroom. Sure, she'd fallen asleep in a strange bedroom too, but this one was different again. It was pink. Well, not really pink, that wasn't quite true. But the canopy on the bed was a pinky red, and the ornaments on the bureau were pink. Red was the main colour, actually. Corey groaned, thinking of the night before, then pushing it out of her mind and investigating the tall clothes-closet to find something to wear. Once she was decent, the girl ventured outside. She pulled at the skirt of the dress she wore uncomfortably; her jeans and shirt from yesterday were nowhere to be seen, and so she'd had to select a gown from the closet. Corey scowled and started to set off down the corridor, but as she turned the corner, there he was.   
  
"Hello, Corey," was all Jareth said. She restrained the urge to turn and run, instead facing him determinedly.  
  
"Now will you send my mother and I back?" She demanded. Jareth smiled; Corey frowned inwardly. Why, when he smiled, did a picture of a demon thinking of his latest evil escapade come to her mind? Well...  
  
"I have already sent your mother back. You paid me for her last night. If you would be willing again, I would send you back-"  
  
"No!" She cried. The demon picture had been right.  
  
"What do you think I am, some sort of prostitute? I will not sink to that level. Up yours!" She snarled, storming back to her room and slamming the door. But when she turned around, there he was. Corey jumped, startled. She cursed herself inwardly, she should've known; he had magic.  
  
"You must understand that you are residing in my castle, and that you lost the Labyrinth and so are under my command," he said calmly, arms crossed. The Goblin King paused, waiting for the horrified look on her face- under his command? Uh oh- to be replaced with one of hostility- don't let him think you're weak!- before continuing.  
  
"As it is, I will arrange for you to have something to do to pass your time here. My offer still stands, when you come to your senses and realise you cannot get home any other way, just call for me and I will come," he smirked and vanished. Corey wavered, and collapsed on the upholstered chair. His words still echoed through her head. She couldn't get home any other way? He must be lying. She would find a way home, and he would eat his words! She would win this new battle. Corey thumped her hand on the arm of the chair, startling the small girl who had entered the room.   
  
"My excuses, miss. I was sent to bring you to your rooms and tell you that you'll be working in the gardens with Master Burdock," the girl piped. Corey sat up, frowning.  
  
"I thought I was staying here," she motioned to the room around her. The stranger looked startled.  
  
"But miss, his Majesty doesn't let servants stay in the noble rooms. We have made space for you in the servants quarters, come," she beckoned. Corey sighed and followed her. Servants quarters? It must be another cruel part of Jareth's plan to make her beg him to send her back. Well, she would take the work and the living conditions as she was given them. They were probably better than she was used to anyway.   
  
"Are you a goblin?" She asked the girl as they walked through endless corridors. The little figure laughed.   
  
"No, indeed not. The only goblins in this castle are his Majesty's army, and some that live in the village yonder. I'm a sprite. We little folk work as servants in the castle, cleaning and tending it and its people. There are many others, too. Some fae, like his Majesty. Humans live on the outskirts of the Labyrinth, in the woodlands and villages beyond. They sometimes come here to seek healing for their sick, as they only have natural remedies. Herbs only go so far, every so often someone falls dreadfully ill and needs magical curing," the sprite chattered. Corey knew already that this girl liked talking.  
  
"My name is Lilyberry, by the way. I already know you're Corey, the latest to fail his Majesty's labyrinth,"  
  
"I didn't fail it," Corey replied hotly.  
  
"Of course you didn't. This is where you'll sleep," Lilyberry chirped, pushing open a large door with amazing strength for her small frame. Inside were rows of beds, next to each a small chest. Each chest was decorated a different way. Some had been painted, some decorated with fresh or dried flowers, others etched with ink or engraved. Every bedspread was different, too. Patchworks of different material, or snatches of velvet sewn together, or even some stuffed with what was probably feathers or fuzz. Lilyberry caught her staring and smiled.  
  
"You should make your own bedspread, in your spare time. Decide what you would like it to be, and I'll ask Cottonseed to see if she can find material for you to make it," the sprite led her to a bed down the very back.   
  
"Here you are. All your belongings are here, we found them in the laundry chute and though you might like to keep them. You'll find the servant uniform in the top drawers of your chest, put it on and come out to meet Burdock," Lilyberry left, and Corey found her ears having to adjust to the sudden silence. The girl certainly could talk.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey fell into bed that night exhausted. Burdock had been a friendly old sprite with a long mouse-grey beard who showed her how to work the garden beds. He had talked just as much as Lilyberry, but for a different purpose. He was teaching her everything there was to know about plants. It was like school all over again. But she found that she liked the garden, and it's peaceful willingness to listen to her troubles. Maybe life wouldn't be so bad, if she could only avoid Jareth.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Weeks passed. The girl was happy with her new pint-sized friends, even though she hadn't seen anyone over 4 feet since that morning when she first came. But nothing went smoothly for long. One day she woke up and swung her feet over the side of the bed, only to find herself running for the privy to lose last night's evening meal. Corey felt nauseous, sick and had a strange longing for lemon juice. Her friends crowded around the privy door, Lilyberry bearing a cup of water and a sprig of mint to rid the bad taste from her mouth. After awhile she felt much better, and ventured outside to help Burdock weed the tomato patch.   
  
"I'm fine, really," she insisted. But her day would not run smoothly. For one thing, while she was drawing water from the well to water the spring beans, she spotted the Goblin King watching her from a balcony. She scowled and picked up the buckets to take them back, but went no further than three steps when terrible pains ripped through her stomach. Corey fell to her hands and knees gasping, her uniform soaked by the water from the buckets.  
  
"Corey!" Burdock must have seen her. Hands supported her as she tried to sit, but it wasn't the old sprite's concerned face who filled her vision. She jerked her arm out of Jareth's grip and tried to stand, but in her rush the pains started again and she fell into blackness.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"She's waking, Rose! Look!" Corey heard relieved voices as she groggily opened her eyes. The pain was no more, but she was about to...  
  
"Here's the basin, young'un," Rose the cook held her head as Corey again lost her last meal. When she finally was able to sit up and accept the water and mint leaf from Lilyberry, Rose sat beside her, giving the basin to a maid.  
  
"You gave us a shock, young Corey," The sprite handed her a cool cloth to wipe her face.  
  
"His Majesty brought you in, you out cold and all. Burdock had come'd in moments before, jabbering about you fallin' and all, we were real worried. His Highness brought a healer doctor, brought him special," Rose said, looking flustered.  
  
"Whats wrong with me, Rose? Stop dancing around the bush," Corey met the little woman's eyes, trying to read her face.  
  
"Child, you're...."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Hah! Yes, I'll be evil and end it there. But I put some clues in the text, you smart readers should find them and figure out that she's....  
  
No, I won't say. You can't make me! But you can try. Bribes might work... cookies, anyone?   
  
Sweet Sunshine and Guesses,  
  
Seul Loup 


	4. We Were Strangers

Any Questions so far? Well of course, the question 'what's wrong with her' that I left you with last chapter. Well, that'll be answered now! Go ahead and read.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"You're with child. Did you know?" Rose's voice echoed in her ears. Corey couldn't speak. It was impossible. She was only seventeen, turning eighteen in a few months. She was too young to be a mother.  
  
"I didn't know, Rose. What am I to do? I- I can't keep it.." She trailed off. There were no advanced doctors to abort her baby here. Magic? Probably not. Rose laid a small hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Dear, it is up to his Majesty whether you keep it," the sprite told her sadly. Corey grew angry.  
  
"Him? He will have no say. I'll do as I like, he can go-"  
  
"Go where?" Jareth said from the doorway, following Lilyberry inside. She scowled at him.  
  
"You can go jump off a cliff." She declared, glaring daggers.   
  
"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, there are no cliffs around here. And as to your child, I believe I would have a say, being as I am the father and the King of this castle," he seated himself on her bed, and she promptly moved to the other side. The sprites had vanished out the door.  
  
"And what if you aren't the father?" She challenged him. The look that he gave her said everything. They both knew the answer.  
  
"Corey, as you might have noticed, you can't have the child aborted by specialist doctors here. It's not that easy. And any healer whom you would go to for that kind of working would be under oath to consult me first. You have to keep it," he stood.  
  
"I will leave the sprites to take care of you," and vanished. Corey collapsed on the bed, suddenly sobbing. She didn't want this to happen. There had to be some way to fix the problem. And get home, she must get home.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
But try as she might, Corey found no way. Every day she cursed Jareth, taking her anger out on the weeds and small tasks that Burdock allowed her to do. No more carrying buckets, of course. And then, one day, she stumbled apon a certain plant while leafing through a plant book.   
  
"Pansy," she breathed with excitement.  
  
"Be careful using pansy while pregnant, as it will cause miscarriage," the girl felt like laughing, but instead settled with putting the book away and nonchalantly wandering out into the gardens. Pansy had been planted the summer before; Burdock had showed her the beds of it.   
  
She knelt near one of the plants and separated some of the petals and stems. With her glorious handful Corey sauntered back to the kitchens, preparing a tea from her treasure, and sat in a secluded corner with her mug. The days from here on would be painful, she knew, as her body rid itself of the fetus. She raised the mug to her lips...  
  
"Stop!" Someone knocked it from her hands. The liquid spilt over the floor; her mug cracked on the stone. Corey gaped, then brought her gaze up to see Jareth glaring at her. Her face changed, and she heaved herself up and angrily stormed back to her bed.  
  
"You have to ruin everything, don't you!" She cried. Her plan had failed. Failed miserably. Damn him! She would just have to escape, then.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
With her newfound determination to defeat him, Corey prepared for her great escape.   
  
It took her months to organise the plan and gather her materials; every step had to be thought over a million times to make sure no one would know. But she wasn't alone.   
  
Rose and Burdock were there for her every day, every week. They were like the parents she had never known; her own mother Linda had never meant much to her until the very end when she had to run the Labyrinth.   
  
But now Corey would win the game. She'd find another way to get home. There was always another way, there had to be.   
  
"I'll make another way," she growled through gritted teeth as she painstakingly sewed every stitch of her bedspread. The bedspread that was her marvelous cloak, made of midnight black velvet that Rose had found for her.   
The sprite had gone to great lengths to make sure no one noticed that the length of velvet was gone, and Corey owed her for it.   
  
"Rose, I can't thank you enough," she said when the day finally came. Rose just smiled up at her through eyefuls of tears, and handed her more things to pack into her bag.   
  
"We've come to love you, dear. Even though you insist on leaving us, we want the best for you. Come, Blackberry will show you to the gate." Rose wiped her eyes with a hanky. Corey shouldered her pack and swept the marvelous cloak around her shoulders, careful of her large stomach.   
  
She had decided an important thing whilst preparing for this; she would keep the baby.   
  
It was now only a few days from the due date as she reckoned it, and Corey prayed with all her might that the child would wait until she found somewhere safe to shelter.   
  
"I'm coming, Rose," she walked slowly after the woman. Blackberry, a sprite youth known for his tricks, had offered to bribe the guards at a side gate of the Labyrinth to let her out. Bribing in Blackberry's language meant knocking them out with large stones, but at least it worked.   
  
He led Corey through a secret way that led straight to the gate, and waved her off.  
  
"Best of luck to you, miss! Best of luck!" He waved cheerily and disappeared through the hedge. Corey sighed and faced the road ahead. It led into the forest. She started walking, one hand on her belly, on a small knife at her side.  
  
It was going to be a long night.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Goddess Bless all who review! Sorry for the short chapter. 


	5. We Were Strangers part 2

She walked for endless hours, following the path as best she could in the pale moonlight and trying to ignore the noises of the night creatures. Slowly, her eyes began to droop, but she blinked fiercely.   
  
"Not yet. Wait awhile longer," Corey told herself. But she was just avoiding the inevitable.  
  
"This isn't any use. I'll have to sleep out here one night, at least," she muttered, and started looking around. Venturing beyond the treeline, the girl found a clearing and curled up under a bush, nursing her stomach.  
  
"Not tonight. Don't come tonight," she whispered, shutting her eyes at last.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Something poked her in the head.  
  
"All right, Rose, I'm getting up, she mumbled.  
  
"Rose? Who's Rose?" A strange voice rumbled. Corey woke fully, gasping. Had she been found? Was her 'Great Escape', as she'd come to know it, over? She crawled out from under the bush and tried to stand, but too fast. Within moments she was kneeling again, trying to fight nausea and the urge to lose anything she had in her stomach.  
  
"Steady there, miss," Someone supported her back and thrust what looked to be a water bottle made of leather under her nose. She took it and drank gratefully, then let herself be pulled to her feet.  
  
"Now, who might you be?" The stranger was a middle-aged man with ratty brown hair and murky blue eyes. Judging by his clothes, he must have been some sort of farmer or herdsman, but they were in a forest, where was his flock, his farm?  
  
"I'm..." she paused. He could be a spy, or someone sent to look for her. Better be careful.  
  
"A traveler." Corey finished. The man smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling.  
  
"Aye, that I see. A traveler dressed in a fine cloak, one with no signs of wear or dirt or dust on it? Nay, miss. You only been on the road no more than last night, or p'raps a day. But I see you're wary. Wary is smart, in these parts. Here, tell you what I'll do. Come with me a while, and have a meal at my cottage down the road. P'raps after that you'll tell me your name, traveler," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Corey thought for a moment, then nodded, seeing which way he pointed. Away from the castle. He seemed decent enough, she might as well trust him for now.  
  
"I be Thomas, a herdsman, if it comforts you to know my name and profession, young miss," Thomas led her down the road, offering his arm for support. She took it gratefully.  
  
"A herdsman? But I see no animals for you to herd," the girl said in surprise. He laughed merrily.  
  
"Aye, you see nothing. My creatures are hard to see, for the untrained eye. Look just there, by the road," He pointed. Corey looked, but saw nothing unusual, just a rock.  
  
"I see only a rock," she told him. Thomas laughed again.  
  
"'Tis no rock, miss. That be a gertling, you see," he went up and poked it with a toe.  
  
"Hie, wake up!" The man demanded. The rock shook itself, and Corey saw that it merely had grey fur that could be plastered against it's body at will. Two small eyes peered up at her, and she smiled.  
  
"It's so cute!" She cooed, reaching down to stroke the gertling. Sudden pains ripped through her, and she clutched Thomas' arm, gasping.   
  
"Steady, traveler," he grabbed her elbow with his free arm, and Corey leant against him until the pain stopped.   
  
"Come. We'll go on down to my cottage, just there in the distance. My wife'll take care of yer," he helped her walk. Soon they were stumbling up the steps, and being ushered inside by a woman, obviously his wife. Corey was half-carried into a room branching off from the main living area, where Thomas' lady sat by her. Thomas himself went back into the main part of the cottage.  
  
"There, miss, you're fine. I be trained as a midwife, having no children of my own to care for," The woman's smile was sad as she propped Corey against a pile of cushions.  
  
"Naught to do but wait, now. What's your name, then?" She fetched a sheet from a chest. Corey, sweating and panting, forgot all caution.  
  
"I'm Corey, and I'm running away," she whispered hoarsely. Thomas, who'd just come in, knelt by her, face grave.  
  
"You be the girl his Majesty's chasin'?" He asked. She nodded.  
  
"He come by here just this morning, lookin' fer a girl of yer description. I wasn't saying nothing on the road to yer bout it, case yer wasn't the one. Why runnin'?"   
  
"Because I hate him. And because I refuse for my child to be born to him, under that roof," she replied through gritted teeth. Thomas nodded.   
  
"Aye, I know yer point. The child be his, then? Yes, I thought so. Miss Corey, you ought to be pleased with yerself. Not many get his Majesty in a right state as that. I'll be going now, but yer should relax. He'll not lay hands on yer or yer child here," he added as she yelped in pain again.  
  
"Penny will take care of yer right," he let himself out and shut the door. Corey lay back, almost sobbing. He was looking for her. Damn it! Damn him! But she had sworn he wouldn't find her, and with the help of this couple, she might yet survive the birth of her baby. But wait, did she hear voices?  
  
"Yer Majesty, yer was here only this mornin', I be telling yer we hasn't seen no girl," Thomas. From the next room.   
  
"Yes, you told me," that exasperated voice had to be Jareth's. She looked frantically at Penny. The woman looked almost frightened, clutching another sheet in her hands and staring at the door. Another contraction hit Corey, and she moaned as quietly as she could. Obviously not quietly enough.  
  
"What was that noise, herdsman? Coming from the back room. Are you lying to me?" Footsteps came closer to the doorway. Hands pushed a wad of cloth into her mouth for her to bite on.  
  
"Quiet, quiet," whispered Penny.  
  
"Nay, Highness. That be my wife, she has terrible stomachaches. My Penny wouldn't want you to see her like this, please, if you will, spare her the shame," Thomas called. The footsteps stopped, then went away.  
  
"Very well. I shall go," Jareth's voice said. Corey breathed easier. At least, until the pain started again. She heard Thomas come in and say something to Penny, but her heart was pounding in her ears. That was a close call.  
  
Soon, a baby's cry pierced the night air.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Please review!!!  
  
Sweet Sunshine  
  
Seul Loup 


	6. Kid

Welcome back to my fic, Things Always Get Worse! I just wanted to say a few things before continuing. Firstly:  
  
If I offend, it is my good will, that I come not to offend, but with goodwill. To show my simple skill, that is the true beginning of my end. My true intent is, that you will know all that you are like to know. (Yes, that's from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream play. I thought it might sound good as a disclaimer.)  
  
Also, if anyone lives in Australia and watches Big Brother, has anyone seen Daniel doing his crystal ball thing? It's what Jareth does, if anyone noticed! Creepy.  
  
So here we go. Many thanks to all who reviewed!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
A baby's screams split the night air. Corey held her daughter close, now safe in the refuge of Thomas and Penny's hut.   
  
"What be her name, child?" Penny knelt next to them. Corey thought, then grinned.  
  
"Sarah," She laughed.  
  
"I'll call her Sarah."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Weeks passed. Sarah grew, and Corey hid them both from Jareth. The times they had to hide grew less as her daughter grew older. Penny and Thomas let them stay, and changed the back room into a bedroom. Corey spent her days making clothes for baby, and helping Penny around the home. They were happy. But Sarah seemed to have a cat's curiosity, and was always asking about her father.   
  
"Mama, why don't I have a father?" Sarah was playing with wooden blocks Thomas had made her. Corey looked up sharply from her sewing.  
  
"You do have a father, Sarah. Everyone does."  
  
"Then where is he?"  
  
"Probably up at the castle."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he lives there."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Don't ask me, I don't know."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Sarah!"  
  
"Sorry Mama." Sarah went back to her blocks. Corey went on with her sewing, but she was distracted. Soon she'd have to tell her daughter the whole story. Later. Not now.  
  
"Mama?"  
  
"Yes, Sarah."  
  
"Why doesn't my father live here with us, instead of at the castle?" Looked like it was going to have to be now after all.  
  
"Because... he doesn't know we're here."  
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because I didn't tell him."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I don't want him to know."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Sarah!"  
  
"Sorry Mama." Sarah went back to the blocks again. Penny, who was doing the dishes, shot Corey a sympathetic look. Kids and their questions.   
  
"Mama?"  
  
"Yes, Sarah."   
  
"What's father's name?" Sarah looked up at her mother with large brown eyes. Corey's throat caught. She had never said his name for four years, since she escaped the castle, and she thought that was why she had had so much luck hiding from him. She thought if she said his name, he would come, like an unwanted yet called dog. But her daughter, her innocent daughter, wanted to know his name. She would have to take a chance.  
  
"Jareth." She said quietly.   
  
"Corey," a voice said behind her. For four years, she hadn't heard that voice. For four years, she had feared it. And yet after four years, there it was again.  
  
"No!" She shrieked, diving for Sarah and burying her daughter under the folds of the blanket she had been wearing over her shoulders. Her daughter safe in her arms, Corey turned to face him. Penny had frozen near the sink, eyes wide and fearful.  
  
"Well, Corey. After all these years, I have found you. Tell me, how did you do it?" Jareth approached slowly; she backed away.  
  
"Do what?" She snarled.  
  
"Escape. Evade. And raise our child," His eyes rested on Sarah, peeping out from between the folds of the blanket.   
  
"With a little help from my friends," she quipped sarcastically.  
  
"Yes, the herdsman. I shall deal with him,"  
  
"No! Don't you dare," She cried. He paused, glancing at Sarah again.  
  
"Fine." He said. Corey, tracing his gaze, gripped her daughter tighter. The girl squirmed.  
  
"Mama, you're hurting me," she squealed. Corey let her grip loosen, but wouldn't let go.   
  
"A girl. May I see her?" Jareth asked softly. She paused, but slowly and unwillingly unwrapped her child from the blanket cocoon. Sarah gave her father stare for stare, staying very close to her mother. After a minute the Goblin King looked back up at Corey.  
  
"I shall leave you both here, and no harm will come to the herdsman." He disappeared. Suddenly Corey could breathe again, and she hugged her daughter tightly.  
  
"Mama?"  
  
"Yes, Sarah."  
  
"Was that my father?"  
  
"Yes, Sarah."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sorry it's a short chapter! I'll try write more soon!  
  
Sweet Sunshine  
  
Seul Loup 


	7. She's sick, man!

Here I am again, slaving away at my compy when I could be... well, I don't know what I could be doing, so I might as well give you another chapter, eh?  
  
If I offend, it is my good will, that I come not to offend, but with good will. To show my simple skill that is the true beginning of my end. My true intent is, that you shall know all that you are like to know.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey lived in constant fear. Her life now was watching over Sarah, to protect her daughter, in case her father came to whisk the girl away. She hadn't had a whole night's sleep for a week, and always curled up with Sarah in her arms. Magic or no, that man would not take her daughter away from her. Penny was an immense help, taking over all of Corey's duties so the younger woman could watch the child. And to everyone's relief, Jareth never showed, though Corey knew he would be watching, through those damn crystals.   
  
After awhile she began to calm down, and one morning she woke up and realized she had slept peacefully. It was an achievement. But Fate couldn't rest, and one day things took a turn.  
  
Sarah sneezed.  
  
"Mama?"  
  
"Sarah,"  
  
"My head hurts," the little girl stumbled over and curled herself into her mother's embrace. Corey laid a hand on her forehead, and gasped.  
  
"Darling, you're burning up! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Penny, do we have any lemon and peppermint?"  
  
"Both, miss. Tea for the little one?"  
  
"Yes, that's what we need," Corey carried Sarah into their room, and rested her on the bed. The girl's eyes were glazed, and she whimpered when Corey started to stand up, so the young mother settled herself down. Penny came in with the tea, and Sarah was made to sip every drop.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The next twenty-four hours were a living hell. Sarah demanded full-time attention, with constant cold compresses for her forehead and as much tea and healing herbs as Corey could get into her. But none of it seemed to help. The girl's state worsened so much she was in a sort of delirious coma. Corey never left her side, and Penny helped as much as she could, but there was nothing they could do. Finally the young mother made up her mind.  
  
"Penny, it's time," she croaked tiredly. The herder's wife hugged her sympathetically and helped her get the things together. Sarah was wrapped in a cloak, and Corey slipped on her own bedspread-cloak she had worn when she escaped. At last they were ready.  
  
"I will return, I promise," she whispered, hoisting Sarah onto her hip. Penny embraced them, and Thomas patted her shoulder sadly. Corey bowed her head and started walking. Out the door, and onto the road. It was for her daughter's sake.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey knocked again on the large wooden door, shivering. It had started raining and both she and Sarah were soaked through, which did nothing for the girl's condition. They were at the castle. She remembered what Lilyberry had said, her first day here...  
  
'"Humans live on the outskirts of the Labyrinth, in the woodlands and villages beyond. They sometimes come here to seek healing for their sick, as they only have natural remedies. Herbs only go so far, every so often someone falls dreadfully ill and needs magical curing,"'  
  
She knocked again desperately. Someone had to be there. At last the door was swung open, and Rose shrieked in surprise when she saw the very wet young woman.   
  
"Miss Corey! Get in here, you're soaking!" The sprite pulled her inside, and she was ushered over to the fire. Within moments her coat and cloak had been taken off, she was covered on a blanket and hot tea was being poured. Sarah was wrapped in another blanket and Corey slid her daughter onto her lap.  
  
"Rose, I can't stay long. I have to find-"  
  
"Let me guess,"  
  
Corey almost swore. He was doing the creepy-from-behind thing again. She turned around.   
  
"Yes, you," she grumbled. Jareth stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"And why could that be? Surely you haven't changed your mind and decided to live here again. Perhaps..." his eyes strayed to Sarah in her arms.  
  
"... you need my help?" He finished. Corey unwrapped her daughter painstakingly, her heart hurting at having to do this.   
  
"She's sick," was all she needed to say, looking up pleadingly. Jareth gathered the tiny figure in his arms and held his hand out to Corey. She took it.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Half an hour later. They were in the room Corey had found herself in that first day. Sarah was now sleeping peacefully on the bed, her temperature receding and happy dreams filling her head. Her mother smiled with relief. Now they had to get out. But apparently not just yet.  
  
"Her name?" He was sitting in an upholstered chair, watching them.  
  
"Sarah," she said simply, glancing over. The man rolled his eyes.  
  
"Really, I think you could have thought of something more original,"  
  
"I thought it suited her. And besides, when we go back home, her aunt will be very pleased," Corey straightened, only to find herself but inches away from him.  
  
"You don't still think you can get home without my knowing, do you? There are no portals, none with my power, no way at all," he said softly. Corey squared her chin and gave him stare for stare.  
  
"I will find one," she told him firmly. Jareth's expression softened as he looked over at the girl on the bed.  
  
"You did well,"  
  
"Raising her? My mother did the same, with me," she faltered, and he glanced back at her sharply.  
  
"Linda. She's fine, and has no memory of here. Or you," he added. Corey felt tears threatening to spill, and she blinked furiously. He reached up to trace her cheekbone again, and she moved her face to look him in the eyes, trying to back away...  
  
It didn't work.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
She woke up and had a strange sense of déjà vu. Though, it wasn't really that strange, now she thought about it. Same room, same circumstances of appearing there. But Sarah was by her side. The little girl woke slowly when Corey brushed stray strands of brown hair away from her face. The young mother pushed back the covers and beckoned to her daughter. It was time to go.  
  
No one stopped them. There was a teary farewell to Rose and the sprites, but all the castle's occupants seemed to have been given orders to let them go. Even the guards at the gate stepped aside to let them pass. Corey smiled. A second escape, though not as desperate, and happier now that Sarah was well and safe. She hoped their life ahead would be just as safe.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Can anyone guess what happens next? I only see one hand. Mine! Hehe.. keep guessing, everyone! And reviewing, of course!  
  
Sweet Sunshine from Seul Loup 


	8. Dare To Live

Merry meet! Welcome to another chapter! It is now officially school holidays for me, so I might get some more chapters out quickly for you! No promises though, looks like I'm going to be busy. Here's today's chapter.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
They made it to the cottage safely. Sarah skipped around picking wildflowers and playing with gertlings. Penny exclaimed loudly (screamed) with delight and relief when she saw them, and Thomas was grinning so widely his smile almost fell off his face. Corey had never realised how dear she had become to them, and they to her. The childless couple were like adopted parents now.  
  
And so life went on. But if Corey thought the worst was over, she was wrong. She was her mother's daughter all right. Linda had a habit of being extremely, well, blessed.  
  
"Corey?" Penny held her head as the younger woman finished losing her breakfast in the privypot. She wiped her mouth and sat back with a groan. Don't even think about that possibility! That possibility that she might be- no. She wouldn't even think it.  
  
"Mama?" Sarah stood at the door, still in her pyjamas and clutching a stuffed toy Penny had made her. Corey smiled weakly and gave her a reassuring hug. It would be fine. She just had to wait.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
But sure enough, she put on weight. One afternoon, over a banana and zucchini sandwich, she and Penny talked.  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
"I hope not. And I won't tell him. Winter's coming, I can simply wear a fur over my shoulders to hide it."  
  
"But..."  
  
"He'll be watching in the crystals."  
  
"Oh, of course. What about when the time comes?"  
  
"I'll just have to hope he's not watching and has the decency not to burst in if he is."  
  
"It's the best we can do."  
  
"It's all we can do."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
She lived with a fur over her shoulders, hiding her stomach. Sarah, when she curled up next to her mother, asked many questions, but her only answer was 'you'll see'. In the meantime, Corey busied herself making sure she knew where Sarah's baby things were but not looking suspicious, and thinking of names. As far as she knew there were no others who had run and beaten the Labyrinth, so she could take her pick of anything.   
  
She also started teaching Sarah things that the girl would have learnt in school if they were in the Aboveworld. Reading, writing, maths... the little girl liked listening to stories the best. Penny and Thomas helped out too, teaching Sarah and Corey alike about the Underground.   
  
Finally the day came. Corey was hit with pain as she was making a cup of tea. The cup fell to smash on the floor, and the woman would have followed it if Penny hadn't caught her. They staggered into the back room, and Sarah trailed in with her eyes wide.  
  
"Mama?"  
  
"I'm fine, sweet. Could you go tell Thomas that we've started? Then come straight back."  
  
"Yes Mama," Sarah ran outside, and it was long painful minutes before she ran back in to sit beside them as Penny bustled around. Here we go again.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
She held the child in her arms, tired as hell but pleased. It had gone without a glitch. Sarah looked on with amazement.  
  
"Mama, is that what I looked like?"  
  
"Yes, Sarah. You looked wonderful," Corey beamed.  
  
"A boy, miss. What's his name?" Penny knelt down. Corey smiled. She had picked a boy's name just the day before.  
  
"Darian," she grinned. It hadn't been chosen for any special reason. But it did have in it a little sound of the word 'dare'. That was good.  
  
"And just when were you planning to tell me this?" An outraged cry sounded behind them. Sarah and Penny jumped; Corey just rolled her eyes. She was getting used to his entrances.  
  
"Never," she said calmly as he strode into view.   
  
"Never? Why?"  
  
"Because I knew you'd find out for yourself with those bedamned crystal balls,"  
  
"True,"  
  
"His name is Darian," she almost grinned at Jareth's shocked expression.  
  
"A prince..." he whispered, and her face hardened.  
  
"No. Absolutely not," she cried, sitting bolt upright. They traded glares.  
  
"Yes. He is my son, and therefore Prince of the Underground and will come to live in the Palace whether you like it or not. I left Sarah with you because a Princess has no value..." he trailed off, realising what he had just said. Sarah's hurt expression said she had understood every word; Corey's face however said she would kill him. And she tried, too, staggering upright, clutching her baby in one arm and balling the other hand into a fist. But nausea overtook her and she fell backwards onto the bed, instinctively curling into a ball around the boy. When she recovered she faced him.  
  
"You will never lay hands on him, or I will not hesitate to kill you," she snarled.   
  
"Do you know how easy it would be to take him right now?" The Goblin King told her casually. Corey clutched Darian to her chest, hunching over him protectively. The baby started to wail, and that turned out to be a godsend. One look at the weak mother protecting her crying child with all she had would make any heart falter, even his frozen one. He hesitated, then sighed.  
  
"Fine. But I will return," and vanished. Corey collapsed finally, sobbing and raising her new son to comfort him.  
  
"Don't you worry Darian, I will never let that nasty man near you," she crooned, and reached an arm out to Sarah, who ran into it.  
  
"You see why I never wanted him to know about you, darling? He's a horrible man," she whispered in the little girl's ear. The three sat there, crying and being comforted. Penny smiled sadly and slipped out of the room.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sad chapter. Please review! More action coming up! Only about 3 or 4 more chappies, though. Goddess Bless!  
  
Sweet Sunshine  
  
Seul Loup 


	9. Kid

Another chapter! Thanking very muchly everyone who reviewed!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Darian was almost two months old before the next uproar caused Corey's life to change. It was a fine sunny day, but she sat inside with her son, always within an arm's reach of him. Sarah came and went as she pleased, bringing them wildflowers and pretty rocks she found outside. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, until...  
  
A terrible scream sounded outside. Corey snapped her head up.  
  
"Penny?" She called. There was no answer. Thomas had left early that morning, travelling to retrieve a herd of gertlings from the other side of the forest. Penny was supposed to be outside picking berries. What if...? No.  
  
"Sarah, you hold on to Darian, hold him tight and don't let go," she thrust the boy into her daughter's arms and ran outside.   
  
"Penny?" she cried. The woman came running out of the bushes on the other side of the clearing.  
  
"Corey? I heard a scream, are you all right?"  
  
"What? I thought it was you..."   
  
"Mama!" Sarah screamed from inside. Corey realised with a horrified gasp what had happened and she dashed inside. Too late. The little girl fell into her arms, sobbing.  
  
"Darian... I couldn't hold onto him... Father... took him..." she cried. Corey narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Don't you worry, darling. We'll find Darian," she whispered, but on the inside she was raging with fury.  
  
"I'll take you to him if you want," said a casual voice behind him. Corey whirled around.  
  
"Of course, you'll have to stay in the castle if you want to be with him," Jareth smirked.  
  
"Give me back my son!" She yelled, lunging forward with her hands shaped like claws. He put up a magical shield, and the woman was thrown to the ground with a yelp.   
  
"Restrain yourself, or you will never see him again," he looked down at her triumphantly. Corey leapt to her feet.  
  
"I'll kill you," she panted, and rushed forward again. This time she was blasted backwards to hit the stone wall at the back of the cabin with a crack. It took a moment for her to regain her senses, but she staggered to her feet and looked at him with a mixture of wounded fury and frustration.   
  
"Threats won't change the fact that I have the boy. I assure you, a perfectly suitable nursemaid will raise him well. And he shall be re-named, something more royal and fitting than 'Darian'," he turned to leave with a triumphant smile, but Corey had already thrown a chunk of wood carved like a gertling that Thomas had carved one winter at him. It hit the arrogant King in the head before he could put up a shield, and gave Corey grim satisfaction as he let out a yelp of pain.  
  
"I'll get my son back, mark me," she snarled as he glared and faded out at last. When he was gone she fell to the ground with an anguished sob. Darian... brought up by a nursemaid? Absolutely not.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Jareth sat back on his throne victoriously. It was two days since he took the boy. When tonight was over and he still had him, then by Underground laws he was the boy's lawful guardian. If Corey tried to take him away, the King could use any means necessary to get the Prince back. Now... a name...  
  
Before he could think of anything, a warning flashed in the crystal that viewed the main hall. Conjuring up another sphere, he saw a cloaked figure stealthily tip-toeing past the snoring guards. An arrogant, twisted smile formed as he waved a hand and faded to the entrance hall. Corey had come for the child. But the foolish mortal thought she could get past his defenses...  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey waited until Blackberry gave her the thumbs up before she took the servant's stairs to the high tower. The sprite was one in a long line... sort of like a bucket line for fighting fires. Rose was hidden in the entrance hall. When she saw Penny dressed as Corey sneaking past the guards, she gave Lilyberry who was hiding in a nearby tapestry a signal. Lilyberry passed it to Burdock, and it made the way along the line until it got to Corey, who was now dashing towards where her son was kept.   
  
It was an ingenious plan. The sprites knew how Jareth's monitoring system worked; a crystal flashed red when there was trouble, and he went to the scene. So it he didn't see the next crystal flash, she was free to go without him noticing! Penny was the distraction.   
  
Corey let herself quietly into the high tower, smiling as she saw the cradle in which Darian slept peacefully. The sprites had proved a thrice blessing; the guards had all been drawn away. She gathered her sleeping child into her arms and started downstairs again happily. She was never going to let go of Darian again.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Penny was running along a corridor in the opposite direction to Darian's tower when she ran straight into someone. One glance at his shoes told her it was the King, but she kept her head down so the hood covered her face.  
  
"Corey, I really thought you were smarter than that," he drawled. She said nothing.  
  
"But I suppose, what can you expect from humans," Jareth continued airily, not yet noticing she hadn't looked at him.  
  
"And to think you thought you could retrieve your son from my castle was so much below the human standards, too,"  
  
Penny was trying not to laugh. This arrogant man had not yet realised that she was just standing there staring at her feet.  
  
"But now, I will be kind and give you a choice. You may return to the herdsman's cottage, or live here in the castle where you may see the boy once every so often. What will it be?" He asked, and finally Penny got her chance to act. She raised her head and removed the hood, savoring the King's shocked look.  
  
"You really are too kind, giving me such a choice," she said sweetly, and grinned as he roared furiously and faded out. Penny cast her gaze around quickly and saw a sprite beckoning frantically from behind a tapestry. Time to get out of there.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Corey was running. It was all she could do. Running as fast as she could along the path to the cottage. Darian was whimpering in her arms, but she could not comfort him yet. The woman was reminded of the day she first came, the only other time in her life her legs had hurt as much as this. She had been running up and down stairs to save her mother then, she was running to save her son now.   
  
She noted a particular tree as they ran; not far now. Only a few minutes...  
  
"Stop!" A roar sounded from behind, but she kept running.  
  
"Stop!" It sounded again in front of her, and she had just enough time to skid to a halt before she smacked into Jareth. He glowered at her.  
  
"You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?" He said scathingly.   
  
"I am getting away with it," Corey corrected him.  
  
"Never," the King hissed.  
  
"Actually, you'd be surprised. My friends, your servants, told me of a certain law. Lets see... you snitch my son, take him to the castle. If I can't retrieve him within three days, he's yours. But if I can take him from the premises, he's mine. And I will raise my son like no nursemaid can. Now step aside," she said, coldly. He hesitated.  
  
"The boy needs a father," Jareth faltered.  
  
"You are no father," Corey glared. Moments passed between them, then the King sullenly stepped aside. She walked past triumphantly, and continued on without a backward glance.  
  
"But you'll still never leave the Underground! I am the only one who has the power to send you above!" He called angrily after her. Corey faltered, but kept walking determinedly. She would still find a way. There was always more than one way.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Long chapter for once! And she kicked his ass! Yes! Don't worry, Penny gets back to the cottage all right.  
  
Please review!  
  
Goddess Bless and Sweet Sunshine!  
  
Seul Loup 


	10. Escape

Darian grew steadily as the seasons passed, and Corey relaxed. She had defeated Jareth twice; once while Sarah was still in her belly, the first escape, and second retrieving her son from the castle. But she had always thought that the third time you defeat someone, you are forever the victor. For the woman that third time would be getting out of the Underground.   
  
And it now seemed she had the means to do that. One day when Darian was five, and Sarah was now ten, Corey came into the back room where they slept. The two children were playing a game. At first it seemed innocent, but as she watched, she realised something important.  
  
"Okay Darian, tell me what I'm thinking about," Sarah closed her eyes. The younger child concentrated on her for a moment, his brown eyes crossing slightly, then smiled and laughed.  
  
"You remembered when Aunt Penny accidentally ate pucker-berries and she was passing wind the whole day," he giggled. Sarah laughed with delight.   
  
"You're right!" She exclaimed, then looked up at her mother with alarm. Corey's face had gone white.  
  
"Mama?" The little girl stood, looking worried.  
  
"Darian- are... are you reading her mind?" Corey's voice quavered. The little boy paused.  
  
"It's not hard," he said earnestly.  
  
"I just imagine myself inside her head and-"  
  
"Darian, are you using magic?" Corey asked sternly, kneeling beside her son. He nodded.  
  
"Is that bad?" He sniffed. She smiled weakly.  
  
"No, not bad at all. Try to read my mind, sweet," she closed her eyes and called up pictures of her half sister Sarah. Within moments her son spoke again.  
  
"I don't recognise her. She has long brown hair and brown eyes, like Sarah," he said quietly. Corey opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Her name is Sarah too. She's your aunt," the woman sobbed. Two pairs of arms wrapped around her.   
  
Her son had his father's magic.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Darian practiced his newfound talent daily. Soon he could read Thomas' mind when the aging man was over the other side of the forest, two days away. Every night Corey let her son into her mind so he could learn about Sarah and the Aboveground. She brought up memories for him to look at, and told him to learn the places she showed him carefully.   
  
Corey had a plan. Her son, with the white-blonde hair and brown eyes, was like his father on the outside in every way but mismatched eyes. On the inside however, he was like Corey. Sarah, on the other hand, was like her namesake aunt. But Darian was highly important in the Plan.   
  
His mother would teach him everything she could, and slowly try to train him in magic. And when the time came, he would transport them home to the Aboveground.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
It was two months since she found Darian's power. The boy could now fade out and in like his father, and had even taken a two-second trip to the Aboveground. He had taken Corey and Sarah to other places by fading. It was now time.   
  
"Corey, I will miss you," Penny sobbed. The two women hugged. She would be sad to leave her friend behind. Thomas embraced her solemnly. When the children had said their goodbyes and Corey had shouldered her pack with their possessions in, it was time to go. Darian held onto his mother and sister's hands and Corey closed her eyes. Home...  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Short interlude chapter!! Next chapter will be the last! Please review!!  
  
Sweet Sunshine  
  
Seul Loup 


	11. Hey, Sarah Sarah!

Final Chapter for Things Always Get Worse! Thanking very muchly all who supported me and reviewed; there weren't as many as I'd hoped, but those who did are wonderful persons!!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The return had been teary, but very happy. Darian had taken them to Sarah's parents' house, but of course it had been ten years since Corey had been there. Luckily Toby had been there, and taken them to see Sarah. Tears and hugs all round. Finally they sat curled up on her half-sister's couch in her house, and Corey told the whole story. The children had fallen asleep by the end, and Sarah gazed at them both with a face of mixed emotions.  
  
"They are... his children?" She whispered. Corey nodded.  
  
"And you..." the older woman's look said everything.  
  
"I wasn't as strong as you, Sarah. I gave in, to save our mother, and then to save little Sarah," she whispered. Her sister smiled in spite of her misgivings, obviously pleased her niece was named after her.   
  
"You said Darian had magic?"  
  
"Yes, he brought us back. I knew there'd be another way out," she added, smiling triumphantly to herself. Thrice the victor. She had won.  
  
"There's always another way out," Sarah shared her smile, and together they put the children to bed. Corey slept with her son and daughter, an arm around both in case the Goblin King tried to take them away in the night. But apparently he didn't know they were gone, for by morning there had been no sign, no crystals or anguished roars. Corey almost wished he would find out, so she could flout her victory.   
  
The next morning, Sarah left them in the house while she went off to work.  
  
"I'm a lawyer," she had smiled. "I get to complain 'it's not fair' all day,"  
  
During the day something changed. She heard the expected roar as Jareth faded into view. Corey thrust Sarah and Darian behind her, holding onto their hands just in case. But the King merely stood there glowering.  
  
"I found another way out," she told him finally, earning another fierce glare.  
  
"How...?" seemed all he could say. Corey pulled Darian gently in front of her.  
  
"He has magic," she said simply. Again the King was at a loss for words, trading stare for stare with the boy he had been cheated of.  
  
"And now, I suggest you leave and never come back. I have defeated you three times, and three times claims all. We never want to see you again," she told him coldly. The beaten man looked at her once in anguish.  
  
"Very well, if that's the way you want it," he sighed.  
  
"It is," she confirmed, and waited steely until he finally faded out before collapsing into a three-way hug.   
  
They were finally free!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Finished. I agree, it wasn't all that good. I have no idea about my next fic, so I think I'll take a break for awhile until I think of something. You might not hear from me for awhile, so here's a message:  
  
Merry meet and merry part, until we merry meet again!  
  
Goddess Bless and Sweet Sunshine to you,  
  
Seul Loup 


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